Brainwashing children.....

In a western country how is this even possible? Are we this debased and superstitious?

Now I know there'll be lots of Christians and other superstitionists who will consider themselves nothing like the horrible people involved in the
above, but by association you're all verifying this behavior and abuse, and yes it is abuse. They may not share the specifics of your chosen
superstitions, but they're all inherently linked and after-all are off-shoots of one another. In this posters option you all need to take some
responsibility for these and indeed all the problems a belief in a supernatural figure-head gives us all.

This and the events in London all boil down to one single belief, the belief in a super powerful, supernatural overseer, a belief in a God. It's
this and this alone that gives people the impetus to behead people in the street, bomb abortion clinics, brainwash children, spread disinformation,
mutilate children's genitalia and so on.

I understand a lot of you don't take things seriously unless there's a quote included somewhere in an OP, so...

“Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of
women and coercive toward children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience."

Decades ago when internet and a PC were still not that common and I actually had to 'read' things via hard-copy, I had read a an article on
"fairy-tales & religion". Loosely quoted it claimed, that our "magic holidays" as Christmas and Easter and plenty of fairy-tales condition our
children to to accept "magic" or unreal events. Later in life we confide to them that the Easter bunny and Santa Claus are not "real" but it has
conditioned them by that point that they then easily accept "Jesus".
While reading this article I was reminded on an experience I had as a young child. My 1st memory of going with my mother to church. All I recall from
this event is the priest yelling and screaming during the sermon. Yelling I always associated naturally with mom yelling at us for what ever we kids
did wrong. So naturally hearing this guy yell at the entire congregation gave me the feeling of an : "Oh they must have F*ed big time ...."
In essence the entire progression from childhood to adult hood is a realization that your so "powerful parents" - (Which they are for any baby and
toddler) are nothing bit lil' scared kids themselves before the "system".
As they used to say in my country about our imperial past: The emperor keeps then POOR and the church keeps them DUMB.
Perfect match for control of the masses.

Here's another lesson in brainwashing, brought to you by the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church in Greensburg, Ind.!!

The congregation in the church, which has been identified as the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church in Greensburg, Ind., gives a standing ovation after
the child sings, "I know the Bible’s right, somebody’s wrong...ain't no homos gonna make it to heaven."

This is why it's so important for religious freedom and atheism to become more mainstream. Not to indoctrinate children with them, but to let them
see that there are other views out there that they can and should consider. Children should be exposed to a variety of opinions on the subject of
religion so they can be more open-minded and decide for themselves what they believe.

I was fully indoctrinated with religion as a child and I managed to be observant and curious enough to get away from it, so I have hope for
those girls.

In a western country how is this even possible? Are we this debased and superstitious?

Now I know there'll be lots of Christians and other superstitionists who will consider themselves nothing like the horrible people involved in the
above, but by association you're all verifying this behavior and abuse, and yes it is abuse. They may not share the specifics of your chosen
superstitions, but they're all inherently linked and after-all are off-shoots of one another. In this posters option you all need to take some
responsibility for these and indeed all the problems a belief in a supernatural figure-head gives us all.

This and the events in London all boil down to one single belief, the belief in a super powerful, supernatural overseer, a belief in a God. It's
this and this alone that gives people the impetus to behead people in the street, bomb abortion clinics, brainwash children, spread disinformation,
mutilate children's genitalia and so on.

I understand a lot of you don't take things seriously unless there's a quote included somewhere in an OP, so...

“Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of
women and coercive toward children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience."

From your source:

As you can see these are poor young brainwashed girls on the floor behind a pew just babbling and crying. The crime here is how young they are to
be so mentally destroyed by this cult.

There are countless examples of brainwashing that I can point out in a contemporary western Christian church but this seems to just be picking on the
kid, not the church.

Spiritually-inclined children do this kind of thing, no matter what (if any) religion they are raised in. There is no context to the video so perhaps
the pastor was all like "Start babbling incoherently so Jesus doesn't send you to hell!" but I sort of doubt that. I was not raised that way at
all yet I had periods of complete spiritual ecstasy and I still do. This isn't always religious thing.

Sorry, I guess the wording on the site just annoyed me. It's like they are implying that any child who gets enchanted with/by magic/spirit/whatever
is brainwashed even though they come from all walks of life. Many children will find divinity with or without any 3rd-party input.

In a western country how is this even possible? Are we this debased and superstitious?

Its called "speaking in tongues". It is quite ordinary in what is termed Holy Rollers kind of churches (which the Pentecostals are). It happens
quite a lot in more emotional style churches. To you and me it's acting raptured and speaking gibberish. Which is easy enough.

To them it's being infused directly with the spirit of God and talking in a tongue that is unknown to people in the room. Its supposed to be a hidden
message that someone else in the church is then supposed to interpret so the rest of the congregation can understand its meaning. The churches that
practice this hold that this is a sure sign from God and the hidden meaning (when interpreted) is holy and must be carried out, whatever it is. Which
is convenient because how can you tell if this is a real message ? After all, it comes from people. Usually members in the hierarchy.

"Oh blessed church, heaven is pleased, you are doing Gods will, blessed are you all, please donate more money as we can all can use a new sprinkler
system." (sarcasm off)

Literally manipulation to sway church membership on issues or problems. If you have ever heard it bust out in a sermon, it is freaky. Someone just
stands up and spouts off and it is completely acceptable to everyone in attendance.

Its "supposed" to sound like a foreign tongue. As in actual speech. This girl is just emulating what she thinks she is supposed to be doing. Her
speech is not recognizable speech at all, just gibberish. Plus its after the sermon.

Don't let it disturb you too much, it is play acting. An old ritual from long ago.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Those poor girls in that video...

This is why it's so important for religious freedom and atheism to become more mainstream. Not to indoctrinate children with them, .....

I was fully indoctrinated with religion as a child and I managed to be observant and curious enough to get away from it, so I have hope for
those girls.

I as well was pretty deeply religious and it took me decades to become an atheist. So I have a little bit a problem with your above statement of
'religious freedom'. I guess one should be free to do anything short of being "Stupid". There should be no room to brainwash our kids to be
"Christian stupid" or "Islam stupid" or any "X-religion stupid".

Originally posted by Guenter
So I have a little bit a problem with your above statement of 'religious freedom'. I guess one should be free to do anything short of being
"Stupid".

I'm a fairly strong proponent of freedom in all forms (and of the First Amendment of our Constitution). And I disagree that people shouldn't be free
to be stupid.

Or even "Stupid". I disagree strongly with religion and I am also an atheist. But just because I disagree with something or think
it's "Stupid", that doesn't mean it shouldn't be permitted.

Real support of freedom means supporting the freedom of those with whom I agree, as well as those with whom I don't.

IMO, we can't and shouldn't do anything about people indoctrinating their own children with various religion dogma. However, we should do what we
can to make freedom from religion and atheism mainstream, so that kids start asking questions (as I did) and use their superb little minds to decide
whether their parents are just passing off another Santa myth with all their religious dogma or if perhaps, spirituality without religion is the way
to go.

Pentecostals are nuts -- their worship services are more like circuses than anything else.

All that "speaking in tongues" stuff is ridiculous -- they think that because the Apostles spoke in tongues at Pentecost in the Bible, the only way
to know that you're saved is by doing it, ignoring the fact that the bit in Acts was people speaking foreign but recognizable languages, not
gibberish.

I've done a small amount of research on the subject, and all the academic linguistic studies that I've seen have concluded that it truly is
gibberish, it has none of the hallmarks of a structured language, leading to the inevitable conclusion that it's all nonsense, both the speaking and
"interpreting" ends of it. Whether the person is aware of the fact that they're faking it or not probably varies from person to person, I'm sure
many genuinely believe it.

When I bought tapes back in the 80's, to record something; they came as blanks, wrapped in cellophane. Then I taped over them with whatever I
liked.
Imagine how weird it had been if all tapes would have come with pre-recorded songs, claiming that you could always tape over them later.
Kids are blank tapes.
Being brought up by religious parents is like pre-recording something the adults like, filling the blank with their own opinions.
This is not right. A child should learn how to be a good person without any god-beliefs pre-recorded before it had a chance to make up her/his own
mind.
Truth is that 'blank' [read: atheist] is the base state, everything else is brainwashing when it comes to religion.

If you later decide you want to believe in a god, be my guest, at least I would know that you must have convinced yourself and were not
force-convinced by others.

Since I am not living in America, I also do not share your opinion on this issue of absolute freedom. Nor do I see the constitution as anything
"special". As an atheist however I do strongly support the eradication of brainwashing by religion. But this is an entirely different discussion. So
when it comes to "freedom of speech" I would consider it right to say: "Hey let me tell you a JOKE! I believe in GOD!", but I would fight against
your sight to ray "There IS a god."
Sorry but this is just where I stand now after 3 good decades of overcoming stupid religion.

Of course the kid is innocent. He doesn't know what sex is little alone homosexuality! That's why it's brainwashing. They get 'em before they even
know what it is that they're saying, then they praise them for saying it, and then give them a chocolate cookie to reinforce that programming.

Pentecostals are nuts -- their worship services are more like circuses than anything else.

All that "speaking in tongues" stuff is ridiculous -- they think that because the Apostles spoke in tongues at Pentecost in the Bible, the only way
to know that you're saved is by doing it, ignoring the fact that the bit in Acts was people speaking foreign but recognizable languages, not
gibberish.

I've done a small amount of research on the subject, and all the academic linguistic studies that I've seen have concluded that it truly is
gibberish, it has none of the hallmarks of a structured language, leading to the inevitable conclusion that it's all nonsense, both the speaking and
"interpreting" ends of it. Whether the person is aware of the fact that they're faking it or not probably varies from person to person, I'm sure
many genuinely believe it.

Yeah those crazy Pentecostals, it's not like they're Catholic or anything right, its not like they have grown men wearing dresses hand them
crackers and wine, that they actually believe then turn into a 2000 year old Jewish zombie......

I really don't think you're in a position to describe anyone else's supernatural beliefs, rituals or services to be 'nuts'

Originally posted by Prezbo369
Yeah those crazy Pentecostals, it's not like they're Catholic or anything right, its not like they have grown men wearing dresses hand them
crackers and wine, that they actually believe then turn into a 2000 year old Jewish zombie.

Nice effort at trolling, lol. Insulting a poster, rather than their post? Check. Belittling Catholic priests? Check. Belittling Catholic theology?
Check. Using the word "zombie" in reference to Jesus? Check.

Do you have a Bingo card to keep track of your points?

I'm sure that it makes you feel better about yourself to insult others, but it does
nothing to contribute to the thread.

Now, compare a Pentecostal service with a Catholic Mass and try telling me that people screaming and running up and down the aisles waving their hands
is a solemn worship service, or whether it's more akin to a circus, as I noted.

Absolutely, if you can do the same to Pentecostals why can't I do the same to Catholics?

Do you have a Bingo card to keep track of your points?

I'm sure that it makes you feel better about yourself to insult others, but it
does nothing to contribute to the thread.

Again, you seem to not realize how much of a hypocrite you are being....

Now, compare a Pentecostal service with a Catholic Mass and try telling me that people screaming and running up and down the aisles waving
their hands is a solemn worship service, or whether it's more akin to a circus, as I noted.

Who are you to say what is and what isn't 'solemn worship'?

And if their worship service is akin to a circus, isn't yours akin to a Pantomime?

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